"Vitamin C - Why it is good for you." If you are a skincare addict and haven’t added vitamin C to your routine then you are depriving your skin of so many benefits. It is one of the super antioxidants to maintain and achieve beautiful healthy skin and is that one ingredient you must look for on your next shopping trip. But, here’s more. Vitamin C doesn’t only protect our skin from free radical damage, it also plays a crucial role in anti-ageing, acne, wound healing and even hyperpigmentation which we will share in this article. The best way to improve skin health through Vitamin C is by daily intake and, in skincare but, not just anything that’s labelled as vitamin C, instead well formulated products like our Hyaluronic & Vitamin C Serum(read the article to know why it is different). Think of our skin like a plant, we nourish plants from the inside through organic fertilisers and also protect them from outside through desired sun exposure and regular watering to prevent from damage and drying out. While in the case of our skin, we need to go a little further by adding antioxidant-rich products to protect from UV rays, radiation, pollution, smoke and other external factors. So, let us guide you on why do we need to “eat our vitamin C” and “slather it on our skin” to achieve plump and glowing skin.

Benefits Of Vitamin C Through Diet

Vitamin C is a naturally occurring water-soluble vitamin also called ascorbic acid. It is majorly found in fruits, vegetables and certain herbs. The consequences of vitamin C deficiency was discovered hundreds of years ago when soldiers developed Scurvy, a disease that shows many severe symptoms such as bleeding of gums, anaemia, impaired wound healing, swelling and extreme weakness. Although Scurvy symptoms aren’t reported anymore in the modern world and developed countries(not that is doesn’t exist anymore), lots of research has been done over the years that has only led to finding out many other roles of vitamin C in our body that also, directly and indirectly, affect how our skin functions, looks and feels. Some of those are;

Protecting Cell DNA

Stress, smoke and unhealthy diet all lead to cell damage(cell damage= irregular functioning of the skin) which can be reduced through vitamin C.

Wound Healing

Applies to internal wounds as well as cuts and bruises

Reducing Oxidative Damage

Important to delay aging and prevent sun spots

Strengthening Blood Vessels

Help reduce dark circles, post inflammatory erthyma(PIH)

Building and Supporting Collagen

Needed for skin and joints

Tissue Growth

Flexibity and wear and tear of the muscles

Increasing Efficiency of Sunscreen

Further protection from sun tan, sun burn, rough thick skin

Absorption of Iron

Indirectly helps with dark circles and bruising and paler looking skin

Bone Mass Density

Important for faster healing of fractures and reduce bone mass loss that occurs with aging leading to changes in the shape of the face.

Metabolism of Proteins

proteins, including collagen being the most important elements for built and functions, vitamin C has a key role in their synthesis making it extremely valuable for our defense system. Unfortunately, vitamin C is not produced by our body. Yes, our body does not possess the specific enzyme activity required for vitamin C synthesis which leaves us with only one option—daily intake of vitamin C rich foods in moderation(portions matter) such as kiwi, red and yellow bell peppers, guava, papaya, strawberries, mustard spinach(ever heard of sarso ka saag?) and good old OJ aka a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice AND daily topical application of products containing vitamin C. Supplements are a great way to repair damage that’s already been done and strengthen skin tissues, boost immunity during an illness, prevent or reduce the effects of certain diseases and harmful drugs, However, do not tend to supplements as the only way of vitamin C intake as foods also offer other minerals, natural sugars and fibres all of which are required by our body.

If you are thinking that eating your vitamin C does so much then why not skip it in skincare? Below mentioned points will instantly boost your interest further in this “do it all ingredient” and it’s important if you want to achieve brighter skin and look younger for longer.

 

Importance Of Vitamin C In Topical Skincare

The topmost layer of our skin—epidermis doesn’t have blood vessels so it is hard for vitamin C absorbed from our foods to perform well in that layer of our skin as very little of it can reach there. Vitamin C is found to be concentrated in epidermis but external offenders like UV rays, harsh cleansing products, irritating skincare ingredients and pollution calls upon extensive use of it which causes drop in its levels making the skin vulnerable to damage in the form of skin darkening, wrinkles, uneven texture, hyperpigmentation and even dermatitis along with life-threatening diseases like cancer. Thus, we must concentrate on topical application to maintain adequate levels and preventing skin damage.

Why Kitchen Ingredients Don’t Work

All Neemli products are inspired by nature and are plant based so you can find common DIY ingredients such as aloe vera, green tea, olive oil and more but for these ingredients to work much farther than top most layer of the skin(visible to the naked eye) without causing side effects, they have to be formulated in right concentrations, with proper hygiene and combined with other actives so they can perform their very best. Not to mention that many herbs and dried peel powders can actually irritate the skin leading to rashes, redness, swelling and skin darkening. So, next time when you think of vitamin C, please do your skin a favour and skip rubbing lemon slice or smothering your face with orange peel powder.

Role Of Vitamin C In Skincare

Antioxidant

While the skin’s natural lipid(oil) and water content(skin barrier) work as a protective layer, it can not stop UV rays from entering the skin and causing free radicals that lead to cell damage. When we have applied a serum that contains studied form of vitamin C, it neutralises those scavengers before they could start breaking down the skin cells and harm DNA.

Delay and Reduce Wrinkles

Collagen is one of two very important components of the dermis(second layer of the skin below epidermis) that gives our skin the firmness and defined muscle shape. Due to natural ageing and sun rays, pollution these fibres become weaker, thinner and even start breaking down leading to the commonly called “droopy face”. Vitamin C serums not only protect collagen from external damage but even lead to the formation of new fibres. Thus applying vitamin c serums as a part of acne scar treatment help build collagen in sunken areas that lead to more refined look and smoother skin texture.

Fade Dark Spots

It has been researched that vitamin C disrupts the activity of tyrosinase—an enzyme that creates melanin(colour of our skin). By doing so, it helps fade dark spots from the sun as well post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation(PIH) which is a result of acne, dermatitis and injuries. Neemli Hyaluronic and Vitamin C serum is specifically created to lighten dark   spots and brighten the skin tone.

Prevent Lipid Peroxidation

Lipids are oils and fats naturally present in our skin. They control the penetration of fluids in the cells(or else we would look a living sponge bob) and protecting the epidermis(top most layer of the skin) from the sun’s rays, exteme weather and strong soap based cleansers. Every cell in our body and obviously in the skin is made up of water and lipid layer surrounding DNA and participating in the transportation of nutrients in and out of the cell. However, lipids are prone to oxidation from long sun exposure. Here’s when the crucial antioxidant role of vitamin C kicks in. It prevents oxidation of lipids thus protecting the skin barrier, cell membrane, DNA and also reducing acne breakouts—according to some valuable research findings relating lipid peroxidation with acne.

Amplifying Sun Protection

Most of the normal population think of using vitamin C in the day time as a foolish idea. And this myth has been developed and forced into people’s minds because vitamin C has a tendency to oxidise, as in, it will break down in sunlight. But we all know that sunscreen is a must as a part of healthy skincare routine and most vitamin C products have other antioxidants to prevent it from oxidising in the first place. While that myth is all clear now, let is focus on facts. Vitamin C has been proven to fight both sun and pollution related oxidative species and this makes it a wonderful ingredient to add in day time routine. Together with sunscreens, it makes a perfect pair to prevent and repair damage that happens throughout the day. A win win combination!

Why Is Neemli Hyaluronic & Vitamin C Serum Different?

Today, we have many varieties of vitamin C layed out in all types of formulas and it is only a matter of minutes before we leave the shopping counter and walk towards a glowing skin. But wait right there! While derivative forms of vitamin C work as antioxidants, not all of them have the potential to penetrate the skin well and fight dark spots.

“3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, present in Neemli Hyaluronic & Vitamin C Serum is a highly stable and penetrable form of vitamin C. It has shown excellent skin brightening benefits in many studies. It converts into ascorbic acid(pure vitamin C) in the skin and due to its smaller molecular size, it can also reach further to help build collagen.”

  Unlike other brands that focus on vitamin C solely, we have gone a step further by adding 1% pure Hyaluronic Acid that injects the cells with concentrated dose of hydration resulting in plump skin and softer wrinkles. To further amplify the dark spot lightening effects we have used one of most important vitamin derivatives for skin health, Niacinamide or B3. Without the use of silicones or fillers, this serum gives a primer like effect, lightens dark spots, brightens overall skin tone, hydrates, delays ageing all in a Cruelty Free and Vegan formula.

Use it alone on oily skin types and can also be coupled with Neemli Argan and Rose Day Cream and Neemli Neemli Hibiscus and Saffron Night Cream for deep nourishment and baby soft skin. Combining the serum with our day and night creams creates a synergistic combination to deliver antioxidants, defy ageing, boost hydration to deeper layers of the skin and prevent transepidermal water loss.

 

SKIN LOVE IS SELF LOVE!